Female Novel
Chapter 1723
Felix truly hadn't expected Carol to show up at the hospital, and his expression turned chilly as heapproached the bedside, pulling the weeping Listina into an embrace.
"Stop crying, okay?"
Listina's eyes simmered with resentment, especially since she was the one confined to the hospitalbed, while that woman got to see Felix every day.
"Felix, why don't you quit that job you have with her? I can't stand it if she comes here again. I'mfeeling so messed up inside, filled with doubts I can't shake off."
"Okay, don't overthink it."
Listina's lips curved, and her tears stopped just as quickly as they had come.
"Listina, the doctor's coming tomorrow. You'll need to cooperate with the check-up and get yourstrength back. Otherwise, the chances of a successful surgery might drop."
"What are the odds?"
"About 70 percent, they said."
Panic flashed across Listina's face. Those were not the high odds she had hoped for; she couldn'tbear the thought of leaving Felix behind.
Sensing her fear, Felix lowered his gaze, holding her hand firmly, "It'll be okay."
After leaving the hospital, he called Carol, "Where are you?"
Carol had just returned to her apartment, her forehead throbbing painfully. Glancing in the mirror,she noticed a swollen bump had formed.
If this woman wasn't Felix's cousin, Carol would have really lost her temper. Hearing Felix's voice onthe phone, she was about to complain about Listina throwing an apple at her, but he spoke first.
"Don't come to see Listina again, Carol. I've told you, her emotions are unstable, and your presenceis a trigger for her."
Carol felt a twinge of hurt, her lips pressing as she massaged her bruised forehead.
Felix's tone softened, "Did you tell her about us?"
"No."
"That's good."
In that moment, Carol felt like she was being treated as a dirty secret. Angrily, she hung up thephone.
Aside from a baffling cold war some time ago, she and Felix rarely argued. He was always sopatient with her, yet now, because of Listina, Carol felt like a bomb was ticking in her chest.
But then Felix sent a text explaining that Listina's parents had died because of his own father, andimmediately, her anger dissipated. No wonder Felix was so accommodating with Listina; there wasthis history between them.
[If she did something that upset you, don’t be angry, Carol. The doctor just told me, she may havedepressive disorder. She’s been in the hospital for years.]
Carol couldn't bring herself to argue after reading his message; she had no choice but clam up.That evening, Felix came over to cook dinner.
When he asked about the bump on her forehead, she had to lie, saying she had bumped intosomething at the diner.
He gently massaged the sore spot, his voice filled with suspicion.
"You got this at the diner?"
"Yeah."
Her pain seemed to lessen under his touch, but her heart ached for him, bearing the weight of pastgenerations.
With the double loss of Listina's parents, it was clear that other relatives were unwilling to step in.Felix had been supporting her all these years; it must have been really hard for him.
Carol couldn’t bear to imagine the details. Now she finally understood why he had to juggle jobs andbe strict with himself; he probably left all his earnings to Listina.
She took a deep breath and called the hospital to prepay for all the surgery expenses, hoping toease Felix's burden somewhat.
Watching him bustling in the kitchen, she couldn't bring herself to be angry at Listina any longer.Realizing that Listina had been in the hospital for so long explained her behavior. She decided topay her a visit some other day. Maybe with more contact, Listina would let her guard down.
Carol's intentions were simple; she believed that Listina's defensiveness stemmed from a lack offriends her own age, not to mention her depression.
A few days later, Carol visited the hospital again, this time with an expensive fruit basket in hand.Listina had been laughing with a nurse, but her expression turned monstrous at the sight of Carol.
Carol hesitated to speak, only to hear Listina's sarcastic voice.
"Didn't finish you off last time, huh? Came back for another round? Didn’t I tell you to get lost? Stayaway from me."
"Ms. Geo, I mean you no harm."
"Ha! As if! Having this bitch face, you're after Felix, aren't you? Just so you know, fawning over mewon't help. Felix only has eyes for me. You're nothing!"
Carol tried to ignore the insults, but Listina's words grew more vicious until she hurled a fruit knife ather. The blade sliced a wound across Carol's palm, and blood spilled onto the floor.novelbin
"Serves you right! Women like you deserve to be scarred!"
Listina's malice was overwhelming, her eyes bloodshot as if she wanted to pounce on her and chewher alive.
Carol couldn't understand why Listina's animosity was so palpable. Fed up, Carol, who had alwaysbeen pampered, was unaccustomed to such humiliation. She grabbed the fruit basket and walkedout, Listina's voice trailing after her.
"Not even naked would Felix give you a second glance."
With the door shut behind her, Carol held the fruit basket, suddenly feeling ridiculous for hermisplaced kindness.
As she approached the elevator, she encountered Felix. His face darkened at the sight of her, "Whyare you here again?"
Unnoticed by him, blood from Carol's palm dripped down the basket's handle.